Methods and apparatus for mapping an action, occurring within a customer servicing computer system, from a meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain are described. The actions are defined to have a plurality of data-fields, each of which has attributes. For a subset of the meta-data fields, and for each field within the subset, the mapper key is formed from a portion of the attributes. Each mapper key is compared with a set of task templates. The task templates define a sequence of system-level domain tasks. If there is a match of all the mapper keys with a respective template, then a system-level domain task sequence is formed to give effect to the action as the collective tasks of all task templates.
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9. A system, for mapping an action from a meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain, comprising:
memory means storing said mete-level domain actions, each of which has a plurality of meta-data fields, each said meta-data field having attributes, and a set of system-level domain task templates, each template defining a sequence of tasks; and
processor means, coupled to said memory means, and operable, for a subset of said meta-data fields and for each field within said subset, to form a mapper key from a portion of said attributes, to compare each said mapper key with said set of templates to identify a match, and to form a system-level task sequence to give effect to said action as the collective tasks of each matched task template, wherein, for at least said subset of meta-data fields, at least one said attributes of each meta-data field describes a mandatory value, and said comparison is performed such that, if a direct match is not obtained, then the number of attributes is reduced and the comparison is repeated until there is a match, the minimum number of attributes that can achieve a match being said mandatory value.
1. A method for mapping an action, occurring within a customer servicing computing system, from a meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) defining an action to have a plurality of meta-data fields, each said meta-data field having attributes;
(b) defining a set of task templates in said system-level domain, each template defining a sequence of tasks;
(c) for a subset of said meta-data fields, and for each field within said subset, forming a mapper key from a portion of said attributes;
(d) comparing each said mapper key with said set of templates existing in the system-level domain to identify a match; and
(e) forming a system-level task sequence to give effect to said action as the collective tasks of each matched template, whereby, for at least said subset of meta-data fields, at least one said attribute of each meta-data field describes a mandatory value, and said comparing step (d) is performed such that, if a direct match is not obtained, then the number of attributes is reduced and the comparison is repeated until there is a match, the minimum number of attributes that can achieve a match being said mandatory value.
5. A customer servicing computer system, comprising:
(a) a plurality of client machines running provisioning application software;
(b) a plurality of server machines also running said application software; and
(c) a network connecting said client machines to said server machines; and wherein, on said computer system, actions are mapped from meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain such that, for each action, there exists a plurality of meta-data fields, each said meta-data field having attributes, and a set of task templates in said system-level domain, each template defining a sequence of tasks, and said system being operable to, for a subset of said meta-data fields and for each field within said subset, form a mapper key from a portion of said attributes, to compare each said mapper key with said set of templates to identify a match, and to form a system-level task sequence to give effect to said action as the collective tasks of each matched task template, wherein, for at least said subset of meta-data fields, at least one said attributes of each meta-data field describes a mandatory value, and said comparison is performed such that, if a direct match is not obtained, then the number of attributes is reduced and the comparison is repeated until there is a match, the minimum number of attributes that can achieve a match being said mandatory value.
2. The method of
if there is no match achieved, choosing a default task template for the relevant meta-field in question.
3. The method of
4. The method of
6. The computer system of
8. The computer system of
10. The system of
12. The system of
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This application is related to commonly owned patent applications Ser. Nos. 09/571,133, and 09/571,678 filed on even date.
This invention relates to computing systems that are used for the provision of goods, services or information management. It relates particularly to the mapping of meta-level domain actions to system-level domain tasks.
In modern large computing systems a common topology has three tiers: (i) a presentation tier characterised by multiple workstations focusing on user interactions, (ii) a business tier characterised by multiple servers executing application/business logic, (iii) a data tier characterised by multiple databases working on data storage and organization. A Local or Wide Area Network (LAN/WAN) interconnects the three tier elements.
Such computing systems find application in many and varied fields, ranging from university research and teaching facilities to business applications. In fact, almost every business will utilise such a system to transact its business functions and serve its clients. For example, a system may be used to control inventory, for word processing and accounts purposes, and for servicing client's enquiries. Many businesses have very large client bases and provide an extensive inventory of goods and services. One illustrative example is a telecommunications service provider (Telco) that serves a countrywide client base. The Telco's subscribers thus can number in the millions, and each customer will expect a near immediate response from a Customer Service Representative (CSR) to any inquiry, which can range from billing information, querying the status of an order, or the placing of orders for a product.
Similar examples are seen in Utilities, insurance companies, banks, hospitals, law firms, accountancy firms, stock exchanges, universities and Government agencies, to name but a few.
In all such computing systems there is an inherent tension between software and hardware resources. As customer demand, and the complexity of goods and services provided increases, it is economically inefficient and technically limited simply to attempt to increase the sizing of computing hardware.
Instead, there are significant gains in system performance that can be made by improving software coding, database management and system firmware architecture. All of these design elements are required to be considered if scalability is to be achieved. By ‘scalability’ is meant the ability of a three tier computing application (in terms of the number and type of information passed between workstations, servers and databases) to cope with growing volume of data, transactions and user base.
One approach to the problem of maintaining application program software is disclosed in published Japanese Patent No. 5,936,860, issued on 10 Aug. 1999 (IBM Corporation), which utilizes Object Oriented programs, and a control framework data base for regulating execution of various programs according to a classification regime.
The invention seeks to overcome or at least ameliorate problems in the prior art.
The invention provides a method for mapping an action, occurring within a customer servicing computing system, from a meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain, the method comprising the steps of:
The invention further provides a customer servicing computer system, comprising:
The invention yet further provides a system for mapping an action from a meta-level domain to tasks within a system-level domain, comprising:
Advantageously, for at least the subset of meta-data fields, at least one of the attributes of each meta-data field describes a mandatory value, and said comparison is performed such that, if a direct match is not obtained, then the number of attributes is reduced and the comparison is repeated until there is a match. The minimum number of attributes that can achieve a match being said mandatory value. If no is match achieved, a default task template for the relevant meta-data field in question is chosen. The computer system can then execute the task sequence. The task sequence is arranged as a single sequence in which a task can only be executed if all preceding tasks have been executed.
Embodiments of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:
The computing system 10 is of an ‘open’ design, providing communication links 60,62,64, via external networks 70,72,74 to like-devices 22,32,42 and remote telephone terminals 24, 26.
The workstations 20, servers 30, and databases 40 are interconnected by a Local or Wide Area Network (LAN or WAN) 50. The LAN/WAN 50 carries information passing between each of the three basic elements described. It will be appreciated that the topology shown in
Embodiments of the invention find industrial application in the fields noted in the foregoing Background section. For the purposes of a non-limiting illustration, consider the example of a Telco operating across many States of the United States. Such a Telco will typically support local, regional, interstate and international voice and data calls, as well as cellular mobile voice and data traffic. Customers of the Telco can choose from a wide range of goods and services including, for example, the installation of second phone/fax/Internet lines, call forwarding, and messaging. They also will expect to be able to make enquiries of CSRs stationed at the workstations 20 concerning billing and service faults. It is not unreasonable to expect a modern-day Telco to have at least 1 million customers, typically requiring at least 500 CSRs. A Telco system infrastructure of this size can expect to handle about 15,000 business transactions per hour. For each business transaction there may be 6 CSR machine transactions required, and each individual machine transaction can involve up to 20 database transactions (i.e. I/Os).
To give a better example of the size of computing hardware required to achieve such performance, it is considered that the CSR workstations 20 should be Pentium™ personal computers running the Windows NT™ operating system, the servers 30 can be one or more IBM UNIX™-based 12-way RS6000™ S-70 machines, and the databases would require a capacity of about 40 Gbytes, managed by an Oracle™ or IBM DB-2™ system. There would, of course, be other operational LAN/WAN servers to handle data communications, as would be readily understood by a person skilled in the art.
In business systems such as a Telco, customers call CSRs and request goods or services in everyday language, such as a request for ‘call waiting’ to be activated on a domestic telephone line. Indeed, the CSR also operates at this level and is presented with information (as a GUI) on the display of the workstation relating to such goods and services. The computing system 10 then acts on customers' ordered goods or services, or enquiries.
One of the objectives of the present invention is to achieve scalability. A system model that has been adopted to assist in achieving this objective is ‘statelessness’. By this is meant that data is passed to the servers 30 and the databases 40 without any record of the requestor's previous relevant information being retained on the server 30. In other words, every system transaction is contained by itself without needing to be aware of the earlier system transactions that were executed within the server for any, or this user.
Another related aspect is the design choice of not constraining the workstations 20 to communicate only with one particular server 30. Rather, any information request from a workstation 20 can be directed to any one of the ‘p’ servers 30. Yet further, it is only the servers 30 that can have access to the ‘m’ databases 40.
Another design choice is the use of Object Oriented programming, which enables componentization. Object Oriented programing is characterized by reusability, low (software) maintenance, ease of understandability, and extensibility. As such, it enables a linking of associated behaviours as building blocks of process states.
Principles of Object Oriented programing are described in: “The Unified Modeling Language Reference Manual” by James Rumbaugh, Ivar Jacobsen and Grady Booch, published by Addison-Wesley, December 1998 (ISBN 0-201-30998-X).
Overview
The ‘goods and services’ supported by the system 10 are termed “Products”. Products are meta data that exist within both the workstations 20 and the servers 30 of the computing system 10. Products are constituted by ‘Actions’ and ‘Tag Along Actions’. Within each Action are ‘Features’ and ‘Provisioning Tasks’, each of which are made up of ‘attributes’.
It is useful to introduce the idea of ‘Definition Time’ and ‘Order Management Time’ at this juncture. Definition Time relates to the definition of a new Product (or the amendment of an existing Product) to the point where it is available for association with a customer. Order Management Time is the occasion when the new Product is live and launched to be available to the CSRs at the workstations. At Order Management Time, objects are instantiated to populate defined Product Templates with ‘real’ data, that is acted upon by way of provisioning a Product Action or the making of a database enquiry.
Products are defined during Definition Time to be available for a CSR to populate an instance in response to a customer order. As shown in
The Product Definition subsystem 130 contains many meta data Products, and for the purposes of illustration, a “Calling Card” Product Definition is shown. ‘Calling Card’ has a (necessary) association at least with the Product “Wireline Access” (shown as a dashed line). It also has an “Adding Calling Card” Product Action Definition, with the constituent Features: “Scheduling”, “Calling Card”, “Memo”, “Service Number”, and “Charging”.
The Pricing subsystem 135 has a Charge Plan definition with the associated Features: “Global Option”, “Replacement fee”, and “Executive Staff Concession”.
The Provisioning Definition subsystem 140 similarly has a Provisioning Activity Plan for each Product Action (in this case only Calling Card is shown) with which are associated specific Tasks that relate to the actual work that is needed to be done to provision an Addition of Calling Card if requested. The Tasks are described as: “Activate Network”, “Update Billing”, “Allocate Service Number”, and “Dispatch Fulfilment”.
The Order Management Time is initiated with (in this case) Joe Smith's request for a calling card service, made to a CSR (in the Product subsystem 145). This results in the Add (Joe Smith's) Calling Card action occurring. The CSR questions Joe Smith about the specific Calling Card Feature requirements: “Calling Card”, “Service Number”, “Memo”, “Scheduling”, and “Charging”. The Charging Feature also makes an enquiry to the stored Calling Card Charge Plan record, retrieving the appropriate information to become associated with the action.
The Request is then submitted to the Provisioning Runtime subsystem 150 for provisioning. A Provisioning Activity Plan is instantiated for the ‘Add Calling Card’ action, taking its format from the Provisioning Definition subsystem 140, populated with attributes collected in the Customer Product subsystem 145, as described above. A series of tasks are then performed: “Activate Joe's Network”, and “Dispatch Joe's Fulfilment”. Once these tasks have been performed, “Joe Smith's Calling Card” is live within the Customer Product subsystem 145, having associated with it a “Service Number Feature” and a “Calling Card Feature”, and furthermore, being associated with Joe's pre-existing “Wireline Access Product”.
Products
Products can be defined to suit a particular business or customer need. In that sense, an existing Product can be amended in some way, or a new Product can be added to a ‘Product Book’, which is a logical grouping of Products, such as those that can be sold to residential customers. In the Telco environment, Products might include:
Referring again to
Actions are constituted by associated Features, such as, for example, the Location of Services (LOS), and Network Identifiers (NI). Features define the data instances to be collected. Actions also have associated Provisioning Activities, which relate to the necessary tasks (electronic and possibly also specifying human intervention) to give effect to the Action.
It should be noted that individual Actions can have relationships with one or more, or a group of other Product Actions. These relationships are captured by the ‘Tag Along’ Actions. They allow two Actions to be associated from a sales perspective, without explicit knowledge of the relationship from the CSR's point of view. For example, a Telco may wish to always associate a Maintenance Contract with a Wireline Access sale. In this case a Tag-Along relationship is created between the two Product Actions (i.e ‘Add a Maintenance Contract’ and ‘Add a Wireline Access’), meaning that the CSR does not have to explicitly remember that when they sell a Wireline Access Product, they have to also sell a Maintenance Contract; rather it will be prompted.
The Mapping Process 110 for a Product (when populated with its attributes) to tasks involves the use of Task Mapper Keys. ‘Attributes’ are the units of data that are used to associate Products to tasks. The Task Mapper Key format is carried by the instantiated form of a Product Template.
Tasks
The task domain 120 operates at a lower level of abstraction, describing meta states. Tasks represent the work that needs to be completed to carry out a Product Action (whether as an enquiry or as provisioning of the Product). The tasks are ordered into a graph-like structure, that is called a ‘Task Plan’.
In Object Oriented terms, an instance of a Task is an object. The definition of a Task is a class (i.e. the programed code). The data that makes one task instance different from another one is read from the database 40 when tasks are instantiated.
Within a Provisioning Activity Plan, certain Tasks act as Milestones. They can be envisaged as checkpoints to ensure the validity of data on the correct progression of the work flow. At these checkpoints messages are sent between the Product and Task domains to align themselves, and to decide if it is valid for continuation of the system process. An example of how these Milestones fit within, say, a Service Number Allocation (SNA) Activity, is that the Milestone after the ‘Allocate Service Number’ Task may have to ensure that the service number data element (a Product Feature) is valid. If it is not, then the system should not be able to proceed beyond that ‘Allocate Service Number’ activity Milestone. In this case, if the Service Number Feature is not valid, then the Milestone will fail and the provisioning will not be able to proceed. The rules as to when Product Features should be locked are defined during the Product Definition time. That is, for a given Product Action, a Product Feature will be locked at a given Milestone, preventing further updates by the CSR.
Product Definition
The first example of a new Product definition relates to a Telco providing customers with a new ‘Standard Wireline Access’ (SWA) Product.
The following steps, defining this Product, should be read in conjunction with FIG. 4.
Step 201
Create a Product and call it “Standard Wireline Access”.
(mandatory):
This creates a Product object with the name
“Standard Wireline Access”.
Step 201(a)
A “Prerequisite Product” allows the specification of another
(optional):
product that is a prerequisite for this product being added.
For example, Call Diversion for Wireless Access cannot be
defined without firstly having a Standard
Wireline Access defined.
Step 202
Create an action for “Standard Wireline Access”, giving it
(mandatory):
the name “Connect” and defining its type be of the
predefined Action Type “Add”. This creates an Action
object and associates it with “Standard Wireline
Access” object.
Step 203
Create the Tag Along relationship to the “Maintenance
(optional):
Contract” 209 Product's “Add” Action. This is achieved
by: choosing the Maintenance Contract - Add Product
Action from a list of previously created product
actions.
Step 204
Create the Product Feature relationships and add to the
(Mandatory):
“Connect” Product Action.
Step 204a:
Choose “Location Of Service” Feature from a predefined
list of Features1. This creates a Location Of Service
Feature definition, which is associated to the “Connect”
Product Action.
Step 204b:
Choose “Network” Feature from a predefined list of
Features. This creates a Network Feature definition, which
is associated with the “Connect” Product Action.
Step 204c:
Choose “Service Number” Feature from a predefined list of
Features. This creates a Service Number Feature Definition,
which is associated to the “Connect” Product. Action.
Step 204d:
Choose “Directory” Feature from a predefined list of
Features. This creates a Directory Feature definition, which
is associated with the “Connect” Product Action.
Step 204e:
Choose “Schedule” Feature from a predefined list of
Features. This creates a Schedule Feature definition, which
is associated with the “Connect” Product Action.
Step 204f:
Choose “Charging” Feature from a predefined list of
Features. This creates a Charging Feature definition, which
is associated with the “Connect” Product Action.
Step 205
Create the Provisioning Milestone Tasks/Milestones and
(Mandatory):
add to the “Connect” Action2.
Step 205a:
Choose “Start Point” Milestone from a predefined list of
Provisioning Tasks/Milestones. This creates a Start Point
Milestone definition, which is associated to the “Connect”
Product Action.
Step 205b:
Choose “Submitted” Milestone from a predefined list of
Provisioning Tasks/Milestones. This creates a Submitted
Milestone definition, which is associated to the
“Connect” Product.
Step 205c
Choose “Provisioning Started” Milestone from a predefined
list of provisioning Tasks/Milestones. This creates a
Provisioning Started Milestone definition, which is
associated with the “Connect” Product.
Step 205d:
Choose “Connect Exchange” Task from a predefined list of
provisioning Task/Milestones. This creates a Connect
Exchange Task definition, which is associated
with the “Connect” Product.
Step 205e:
Choose “Activate Service” Milestone from a predefined
list of provisioning Tasks/Milestones. This creates a
Activate Service task definition, which is
associated to the “Connect” Product.
Step 205f:
Choose “Provisioning Complete” Milestone from a
predefined list of Provisioning Tasks/Milestones.
This creates a Provisioning Complete Milestone
definition, which is associated to the “Connect” Product.
Step 205g:
Select other provisioning tasks.
Step 206
Associate the “Standard Wireline Access” to the
(not shown).
“Residential” Product Book. The Product
is added to the Product Book for sale by a CSR.
Step 207
Test the Product. A series of tests are run to prove the
(not shown):
consistency of the product structure.
Step 208
Launch the Product. “Standard Wireline Access” is now
(not shown):
available for the CSR to view and sell.
Note 1: This list is built up from a list of Product Features that has already been associated to the “Standard Wireline Access” Product and a list of Product Features that are specifically set up to be directly associated with the Product Action. One of the attributes of each Product Feature is a reference to a desired provisioning milestone (referring to one of the activities in step 205) at which the feature should be locked.
Note 2: This is a partial list of the total possible number of tasks to be provisioned, and represents typical milestones.
Attribute Name
Example
Description
Location of Service
Location ID (aka Location of Service ID)
111
A unique identifier
Street Name
Main Street
Street Number
505
Building Name
Voyager House
Floor Description
Floor 2
Zip Code
ABS DEF
Default Exchange ID
Yorktown Central
The Exchange that will be used to connect the
Wireline Access through
Address Inhibited Flag
No
The address has no bad debt etc that would cause
the address to be black listed by the Telco
Job Area
West Branch
The Work Area that will be used to complete the
physical installation.
Network
Network ID
111
The “Network ID” identifies the Network Plant
associated with the Customer Product. It is
allocated by an external network System to
uniquely identify a network circuit.
Class of Service Actual
Individual
This records the quality of service provided to the
customer (e.g Individual, 2 party or multi-party line
etc).
Exchange Work Required
Yes
This attribute indicates whether work is required to
be done within the exchange to provide the service.
Outside Network Work Required
Yes
The value for this flag indicates if work is required
to be done within the exchange to provide the
service.
Switch ID
Switch 111
The ID of the switch. The switch is the terminator
for the telephone connection within the exchange.
Exchange ID
Yorktown Central
The ID of the exchange. The exchange is simply a
building that houses switches.
Allocation Status
Successful
Defines the successfulness of the network circuit
allocation.
Service Number
Service Number
1234 5678
Joe Smith's Service Number
Directory
Listing Contact name
Joe Smith
The contact name for the directory listing people.
Listing Contact Number
1234 5678
Contact Phone number.
Listing Last Name
Smith
Listing First Name
Joe
Listing Title
Mr
Listing Name Alternate Format
Mr J. Smith
Listing Address Line 1
Main
Listing Address Line 3
Yorktown Central
Listing Extra Last Name
Smith
His Wife's Details
Listing Extra First Name
Sarah
His Wife's Details
Listing Extra Title
Mrs
His Wife's Details
Listing Extra Name Alternate Format
Mrs S. Smith
His Wife's Details
Directory Listing Confidentiality Type
Confidential
Depicts if the listing is “X-Directory”, i.e. not
published.
Scheduling
Commitment Strategy
By Jan. 1, 2000
Defines the commitment given to the customer,
may be “No Commitment”, “By”, “Between
Hours”, “At”
Customer Required Date/Time
Jan. 1, 1999 1200
Defines the date the customer wants the product or
service. For the record only.
Actual Completion Date/Time
Jan. 1, 2000 1200
The date/time the job was actually completed.
Negotiated Start Date/Time
Jan. 1, 2000 2400
The date/time the CSR and the Customer negotiated
that the job will be started by.
Negotiated End Date/Time
Jan. 1, 2000 2400
The date/time the CSR and the Customer negotiated
that the job will be completed by.
Schedule Priority
High
The priority of the schedule.
Schedule Valid to Date/Time
Dec. 12, 1998
Defines the date until which the schedule is valid.
After this date you will have to reschedule.
Access Instructions
The Key is under
Define any information needed by the workmen
the doormat.
undertaking the task, in this case connection.
Indicative Booking Reference
J Smith 111
A reference for the customer.
Charging
Payment Type
Account
Defines the type of payment, may be Cheque, Visa,
account etc.
Account number to charge
Jsmith 123
Joe Smith's account number.
Effective Date Time
Jan. 1, 2000 2400
Date the charge is effective from.
Expiry Date Time
Jan. 1, 2001 2400
Date the charge expires.
Charge Plan Definition ID
Cplan
The Charge Plan Joe Smith has chosen.
The Provisioning Activity Plan for connecting Joe Smith's Standard Wireline Access is created when the request is submitted for provisioning.
Task Mapping
The mapping process 110 of an instantiated Product Action to a ‘Task Plan’ involves the use of a Task Mapper Key and an associated Task Template. In basic terms, the steps followed are:
An example of the mapping process will now be given with reference to the object interaction diagram of FIG. 6.
Task Mapper Key
The Task Mapper Key is a particular subset of the attributes associated with a Product Action whose values will be used to identify the specific tasks that must do the work of provisioning.
The server process instructs building of the Task Mapper Key for the SWA-C Action (MapToTasks( )). Each Provisioning Activity 205′ is considered in turn, except for those designated as Milestones.
For ease of explanation, consider only the ‘Connect Exchange’ Provisioning Activity 205d. For this Activity, the getTaskMapperKeyDefinition( ) command retrieves, from the definition form of Connect Exchange 205d, the string:
The command getActivityDefinitionID retrieves, from the definition form of Connect Exchange 205d, the string:
Next, the command getAttributeValue( ) is executed for each parameter (ie., Region, Switch ID and Exchange ID), obtained from the run-time version of ‘Joe Smith's Location of Service’ 204′a, and ‘Joe Smith's Network’ 204′b.
In this example, the Activity Definition ID is: “123”. The Task Mapper Key Definition is “Region&SwitchID&Other”, where “&” is a separating operator. The Activity Definition ID is the value that substitutes for the “Connect Joe Smith's Exchange” Activity. The number of mandatory keys, held in the Activity Definition ID is, in this example, “2”.
The Task Mapper Key is built to become: “Yorktown&Switch2&AAA”.
Locate Task Template
A predefined list of Task Templates are maintained in the database 40, each of which represents a sequence of work tasks that constitute a part of the overall Task Plan.
The command SearchForRow(ActivityDefinitionID, TaskMapperKey) is executed, by which the Task Mapper Key is compared against the set of Task Templates.
The database is searched for the Activity Definition ID and the Task Mapper Key. Thus the search is for: 123, “Yorktown&Switch2&AAA”. Consider the extracted database entries:
100
Armonk&Switch2&BBB
123
Yorktown&Switch1
123
Yorktown&Switch2&CCC
123
Armonk&Switch2
124
WhitePlains&Switch4&DDD
If there is a direct match, then the ‘Task Template Located’ state has been reached. For these entries, however the search produces a nil result. In such a case, the search would be restricted and the adjust Task Mapper Key ( ) command invoked. Since the number of mandatory keys is “2”, the Task Mapper Key becomes: “Yorktown&Switch2”, in which case the third row of the database entries listed above provides a match, and provides the Task Template.
If, once all the optional keys have been discarded, there still is no match between the reduced Task Mapper Key and the Task Templates, then the SearchForDefaultRow (ActivityDefinitionID) command is invoked, by which the default Task Template for Activity ID=123 is retrieved from the database 40.
At this juncture, the Task Template has been located.
Task Plan Formation
Each Task Template specifies a sequence of work tasks. For the example of Connect Joe Smith's Exchange activity, the Task Template is “Yorktown&Switch2”, which corresponds to the task of: connectexchange.
For a modern telephone exchange it can be enough for a single task to be issued. In other, older exchanges there can be a set of tasks required such as: dispatchtechnician, disconnect, connectswitch2, and callback to mainexchange.
The process described in
So far as the supplementary information is concerned, this specifies who will perform the work defined by the tasks. A further search is made of another database table for this information, based on the Task Template. The ‘work’ could be performed automatically at a local exchange, or may require technicians to install physical wiring and supply a handset. If no such information is found, then default information is utilized.
Feature Attribute Locking
Now the Task Plan has been realised, it is executed/provisioned, which involves database accesses as well as discrete work actions. The provisioning includes the concept of ‘attribute locking’, which is related to Task Milestones.
To illustrate the application of attribute locking, consider again the example of Joe Smith requesting the Product Action ‘Connect Joe Smith's Standard Wireline Access’ from a CSR on a Monday. Joe has specified that his required connection date is to be the following Thursday. This is a constituent attribute of the Scheduling Feature 204e shown in FIG. 4. The Action is submitted for provisioning, and the Task Plan realised. One of the specific work tasks is for a technician at the Exchange to connect the appropriate circuit. If Joe calls the CSR on Thursday morning requesting that the connection date be delayed, then it is desirable for that Feature attribute to have been ‘locked’ such that it cannot be changed at such a late stage.
For the Product Action “Standard Wireline Access—Connect”, the following table, to be read in conjunction with
Mile-
Pre-
Provisioning
stone
requisite
ID
Activity Name
(Y/N)
ID
Comment
250
‘SP’ - Start Point
Y
—
252
‘SB’ - Submitted
Y
250
254
‘PS’ - Provisioning
Y
252
Started
256
Connect to the
N
254
Exchange
258
Activate Service
N
256
260
‘PC’ - Provisioning
Y
258
Completed
262
Test Network
N
260
Used only when
‘Customer Work
Required’ flag is set to N
264
‘BA’ - Available for
Y
262
Billing
266
Update Billing
N
264
268
Provide Directory
N
266
Not used when Listing
Task Information
Type is ‘Confidential’
270
‘BC’ - Billing
Y
268
Completed
272
‘CM’ - Completed
Y
270
The Task Plan of
Another aspect of the locking process is that a CSR can make an enquiry of the progress of provisioning tasks, such that a customer can be told that: “the exchange connection will happen today”.
Product Definition and Order Management Interactions with Computing System
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited only to the embodiments described, but that numerous alterations and modifications, as would be apparent to one skilled in the art, are included within its scope.
Cheong, Toong Choon, Plumpton, David James, Bresil, Roberto
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